Line printers have been in use for quite some time and have been utilized in a wide variety of applications. One particular application is in the field of teletypewriters which are employed to simultaneously print hard copies of a message as the message is being transmitted through a communications link. Printers of this type also have a capability of accepting data received from a remote facility. Devices of this category typically employ either hammer type keys as are found in conventional typewriters or, alternatively, employ cylindrical drum type members, either of which devices print an entire character by impacting the selected type font against the ribbon which transfers ink to the paper document in the configuration of the type font which strikes the inked ribbon. Devices of this category utilize a cooperating ratchet and feed pawl arrangement which incrementally steps the type font relative to the paper document for proper positioning of each character printed.
Printing under control of either the local keyboard or the local or remote communications link is limited by the printing speed of the printer which is capable of receiving only one coded character at a time and printing the character represented by the received code word.